Contents

Biography

The scythe's origins

Before his fall from the titanPantheon, Sargeras defended creation from demons, imprisoning untold numbers of them in Mardum, the Plane of Banishment. Over the millennia, these demons were not idle. The dreadlord Ulthalesh ruled the pocket dimension with an iron fist, plotting for the day when he would exact vengeance.

When Sargeras shattered Mardum to recruit forces for the Burning Legion, he offered his former prisoners an ultimatum: join him or be cast into oblivion. Most of the demons accepted, but scores refused, rallying around Ulthalesh. In answer to the challenge, Sargeras forged a great felsteel scythe from the fires of Mardum's destruction, and he used it to harvest the souls of the recalcitrant demons, confining them in a new prison. Ulthalesh, strongest of will, was the last to be devoured. Sargeras named the scythe Ulthalesh, after the dreadlord who had risen up against him. Ulthalesh's spirit gave the weapon unfathomable strength, but with that strength came a curse, for those who bore Ulthalesh were inevitably consumed by it. The scythe would obey its masters' commands until they were mortally wounded; then Ulthalesh would feast on their souls. Over the centuries, Sargeras bestowed the blade upon cunning nathrezim, ferocious doomlords, and even potent demigods, only to see their spirits devoured by Ulthalesh after they fell. The scythe grew stronger with each master it absorbed, and it became difficult for Sargeras to find servants who could control the weapon.[1]

Wielding Ulthalesh

Millennia ago, Sargeras gave Ulthalesh to Sataiel and commanded her to reap the souls of Azeroth's rebellious denizens, starting with the area that would later be known as Deadwind Pass. No one knows what the land was called before the coming of Sataiel. Most would rather not think of it at all. It is the burial site of countless trolls who were methodically slain, their spirits consumed by Ulthalesh, fueling its power to murder more. The scythe would feed and feed until all of the inhabitants were dead. But Sataiel knew this was just the beginning, a promising start that only hinted at what Ulthalesh was capable of. Sargeras had dispatched her to break the will of Azeroth's denizens. It was not enough simply to kill them; bodies could be buried and forgotten. She decided to strike at the very heart of the land so that no new life could take up residence. With Ulthalesh, she would see that Deadwind Pass stood as a monument to the Legion's wrath.

After she used Ulthalesh to consume the souls of all living creatures in Deadwind Pass, she turned the blade on the land itself, draining it of life. The trees were reduced to withered husks. The marshes became a desiccated waste. The sky turned a sepulchral gray, the sun covered in a burial shroud. Sataiel relished the despair of the scythe's new prisoners as they unwittingly assisted in the annihilation of their home. The destruction was absolute. Even Azeroth's slumbering world-soul quailed.

Like all who presume to wield this pernicious blade, Sataiel was ambitious, strong willed, and supremely confident. She had come to Azeroth to prove herself to Sargeras, but when she saw the heights of power she could reach with Ulthalesh, she wondered whether she'd set her sights too low. She had massacred thousands, turned the land into a tomb, and ripped open a magical nexus of unspeakable force. Her destiny was bright, and she needed no one's patronage to achieve it. Ulthalesh whispered to Sataiel from the scythe, infecting her mind. She decided to keep the magical nexus for herself, and she cast potent wards to hide it from the outside world. Then she cut off all contact with the Legion, biding her time until she and Ulthalesh had the strength to challenge the Dark Titan.

When Sargeras discovered her deception, he was furious. The fount of power was his by right, and Sataiel was keeping it from him. Not only that, but his spies informed him that she was harboring delusions of grandeur, conspiring with the spirit of Ulthalesh to slay Sargeras. Such arrogance could not go unpunished. The upstart eredar had to be eliminated. Sargeras found his champion in Scavell, the Guardian of Tirisfal. He sent the Guardian visions of a dangerous entity lurking in Deadwind Pass, a demon awaiting the return of the Burning Legion. Scavell boldly took up the charge, hunting down Sataiel and, after an epic battle, slaying her with her own weapon. Her soul was cast screaming into the scythe.[1]

Gamepedia

Tools

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted.World of Warcraft content and materials are trademarks and copyrights of Blizzard or its licensors. All rights reserved. This site is a part of Curse, Inc. and is not affiliated with Blizzard.